Several news portals claimed Kathmandu mayor Balen could become Nepal’s youngest prime minister at 35. But a closer look at political history shows former PM Tulsi Giri had already taken office at an even younger age.
Fact-check
The internet loves a dramatic headline. And in the past few days, many news portals from big international outlets to several Indian websites have been buzzing with one catchy claim that Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, is set to become Nepal’s youngest prime minister.
It sounds exciting. A young rapper-turned-politician leading a country at just 35? That’s the kind of story that spreads fast online. But when you slow down and check the facts, the story is not exactly what it seems.
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Let’s break it down.
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Several reports circulating online claim that Balendra Shah (Balen) could become Nepal’s youngest prime minister following recent political developments.
Balen was born on 27 April 1990, which means he is currently 35 years old. If he were to become prime minister now, he would indeed be one of the youngest leaders in Nepal’s history.
Because of this age factor, many portals quickly labelled him as “the youngest prime minister Nepal will ever have.”
But there’s one problem with that claim.
History says otherwise.
Long before Balen entered politics, Nepal had already seen a prime minister who was even younger.
Tulsi Giri, a well-known political figure in Nepal’s history, was born on 26 September 1926. He went on to serve as the country’s prime minister three different times.
Here is where the numbers become important.
Giri first became prime minister on 2 April 1960, and he held the post until 23 December 1963. At that time, he was just 34 years old.
That means he was younger than Balen is today.
So even if Balen became prime minister at 35, he would not break the record for being Nepal’s youngest PM.
Tulsi Giri’s political career included multiple stints as Nepal’s prime minister.
His first term lasted from 2 April 1960 to 23 December 1963, when he was only 34.
He returned to power for a second term from 26 February 1964 to 26 January 1965.
Later, he served again during a third term from 1 December 1975 to 12 September 1977.
Because of his first appointment at age 34, he still holds the distinction of being one of the youngest leaders to hold the office in Nepal’s history.
So, what’s the truth?
If Balendra Shah ever becomes Nepal’s prime minister at age 35, he would certainly be among the youngest leaders the country has seen. However, the viral claim that he would be the youngest prime minister in Nepal’s history is incorrect.
That title already belongs to Tulsi Giri, who entered the office at 34 years old.
In short, the internet’s headline may sound exciting, but the history books tell a slightly different story.
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